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Updates to Our Master Bedroom: Adding Gold and Travel Art

While our master bedroom has changed over the years, there are certain elements that have remained the same. Of all the rooms in our home, it has changed the least due to its small size, placement of windows, and the size of our (yes, futon) bed. There are a lot of limitations for the room yet only being able to change so much has allowed the room to simply be a bedroom. A place to rest our head at the end of the day and a refuge from the busy or clutter that often fills other rooms in the house.

When it comes to decorating our bedroom I have always used hotel rooms as inspiration. There is something about going into a hotel room that feels clean and spacious. I prefer minimal decor but just enough that you feel like there was thought put into the details. So I let floor to ceiling drapes and fluffy white bed linens be the foundation for the rest of the room.

Months ago I purchased this gold geometric piece. It felt modern and trendy and I was not sure if I would like it. But I ended up loving it in our room just continuing to prove how one intentional item can set the tone for an entire room. After struggling for awhile with making our white bedroom feel pulled together, I tried variations of including color but nothing quite felt right. Gold was what I needed and all it took to find that out was a ten dollar splurge.

The gold and metallics seem to pair well with the white decor. They add a pop of color without really adding a pop of color. I am often on the fence about painting over our stenciling on the walls but by incorporating gold, everything seems to settle. It is intentional without screaming for attention. I am able to be in this room and feel calm. I don't want to change everything. And for a room that can only change so much, being at peace with the setup is a wonderful thing.

To add a little contrast to the room, I hung up some art that I have been collecting from our travels. The prints come from Iceland, Paris, and Haiti. I also hung up this black and white art that we used to have in our guest bathroom. I considered changing out the art but when hung with the other pieces, it all seemed to flow together quite well.

I recently moved the arm chair that used to be in here back into my office. We hung up our "fireplace TV" in my office which only made me want to curl up in a big chair and blanket in between blog posts and editing pictures. Using a smaller chair in it's place provides a little more room in this already small bedroom. Plus with the art, it creates a nice vignette that can be seen down the hall.

I finally finished editing photos from our trip to Paris and got a few of them framed around the house.

It has been awhile now that I took our duvet cover off of our comforter. Though I now have to wash our comforter more often and it is more likely to getting dirty, having a simple fluffy comforter took our bedroom to a more streamlined look and less shabby chic.

On the opposite wall I hung up a map of Paris we got on vacation. I was able to find a big enough frame from the thrift store at an amazingly cheap price. It now replaces the mirror we had there for years. Having more sophisticated (but not necessarily expensive) art really updates the space. Buying art while traveling has become one of my favorite and most inexpensive ways to decorate. Buying prints or greeting cards that can be framed usually cost me from $3-$10 making for some unique and personal wall art. Less money on decorations and more money for vacation, right?!

I still cannot believe we got to go to Paris. Yet the city seems so far away and unattainable still. So while I may never go back, at least any time soon, I can day dream as I look at the street our hotel was on and the places we visited while I brush my teeth back into reality each morning.

And my favorite house plant? The peace lily. With just a little watering, these things are pretty hearty. Three of my five large house plants are peace lilies. The other two? Fiddle leaf figs. When you find something that lasts in your home, stick with it. Plus I love their airy but full presence. I am pretty picky about plants and flowers. The peaces lily is pure love.

A small bedroom, sleeping on a futon, and wall stenciling I am not sure I love? Sometimes our limitations provide the best foundation for finding contentment and beauty in a room that is meant to be loved.